Mooney M20J accident near Schroon Lake, New York, February 15, 1982
On February 15, 1982 at about 7:00 pm local time, a Mooney M20J, registered N201UM, was substantially damaged in an accident near Schroon Lake, New York (Schroon Lake airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 15, 1982 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Schroon Lake, New York · Schroon Lake · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20J · all M20Js on the register
- Registration
- N201UM · no longer on the register · serial 24 0374
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING ARRIVAL, THE PILOT MADE TWO PASSES OVER THE AIRPORT TO INSURE THAT THE RUNWAY HAD BEEN PLOWED (SNOW REMOVED). HE LANDED ON A 3164 FT RUNWAY IN LIGHT AND VARIABLE WIND CONDITIONS. THE RUNWAY WAS COVERED WITH ICE AND WET SNOW. THE LEFT BRAKE WAS INEFFECTIVE DURING THE LANDING ROLL. TO PREVENT SKIDDING OFF THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY, THE RIGHT BRAKE WAS NOT USED. WHEN THE PILOT SAW AN ICE AND SNOW OBSTRUCTION AT THE END OF THE RUNWAY, HE APPLIED FULL POWER TO GO-AROUND. DURING THE GO-AROUND, THE PLANE STRUCK THE TOP OF A SNOWBANK, THEN STALLED INTO TREES ABOUT 100 FT FROM THE END OF THE RUNWAY. AN INSPECTION AND TEST REVEALED THE LEFT BRAKING ACTION WAS ABOUT 60 TO 65 PERCENT OF THAT OF THE RIGHT BRAKE, BUT SUFFICIENT TO LOCK THE BRAKE.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 937 hours in all; 1 in this make and model; 8 in the last 90 days; 79 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,300 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,740 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A1B60 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: I&D CO,
The flight
- Departed from: Caldwell NJ at 12:30 pm
- Destination: Wrightstown NJ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 34, 3,164 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; scat at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 104°F (40°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.